Multiple 'windows' in one msdos console character-mode application

Howard_L · #1 02-Aug-2007, 00:25

I have a program that I would like to make into a character-mode console application.
Specifically I'd like the screen to have two or three 'windows' for status, menus , etc.
I need to do this program for msdos so I will not be able to use the awesome Linux ncurses libraries with which I have done a little of the multiple windowing. Instead I am mired in the world of ms api... I have been revisiting msdn/library from about here on:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms682010.aspx
...and am beginning to wonder if this is possible. It should be. If I remember correctly, they used to do this back in ot-1. They sure don't advertise it now. Anybody know how to do this ?
I'm not ready for win32 graphical api at this time.... figured I'd get this HANDLE'd first, thanks,
Howard;
ps: just to jog the memory, this is a basic start (compiles and runs):

CPP / C++ / C Code:

/* books_mscon.c  trying to set up console screen for books.c */
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#define PAUSE while(getc(stdin) != '\n')

HANDLE WinOut1, WinOut2;
COORD Pos1, Pos2;
COORD SBSize;

void CLEAR_WinOut1(HANDLE WinOut);
void Info(HANDLE WinOut);

int main(void)
{
  WinOut1 = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);

  SBSize.X = 95;  SBSize.Y =  40;  SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(WinOut1, SBSize);

  SetConsoleTitle("Dude! we gotcher: books_mscon.exe for ya (under construction) ");
  CLEAR_WinOut1(WinOut1);
  Info(WinOut1);
  PAUSE;

  /* WinOut2 = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE); */
  WinOut2 = WinOut1;

  SBSize.X = 10;  SBSize.Y =  20;  SetConsoleScreenBufferSize(WinOut2, SBSize);

  Pos2.X = 80;  Pos2.Y = 0;  SetConsoleCursorPosition(WinOut2, Pos2);
  printf("This is WinOut2! \n123456789012345678901234567890\n");
  PAUSE;
  return 0;
}
/********************************************************************/
void CLEAR_WinOut1(HANDLE WinOut)
{
  static COORD Pos;            /* assign Pos members for new position */
  static DWORD Written;        /* define identifier of type 'DWORD'   */
  Pos.X= 0; Pos.Y= 0;
  FillConsoleOutputCharacter(WinOut, ' ', (90*40), Pos, &Written);
  Pos.X= 10; Pos.Y= 0;
  SetConsoleCursorPosition(WinOut, Pos);
  printf("This will be our main window.  Can we make a subwindow? \n\n");
}

void Info(HANDLE WinOut)
{
  CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO SBInfo;               /* pointer to structure */

  GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(WinOut, &SBInfo);
  printf("GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hOut, &SBInfo);   A snapshot:\n");
  printf("SBInfo.dwSize.X , Y            : %d x %d  \n", SBInfo.dwSize.X, SBInfo.dwSize.Y);
  printf("SBInfo.dwCursorPosition.X, Y   : (%d, %d) \n", SBInfo.dwCursorPosition.X, SBInfo.dwCursorPosition.Y);
  printf("SBInfo.wAttributes             : 0x%04x   \n", (unsigned)SBInfo.wAttributes);
  printf("SBInfo.srWindow.Top            : %d  \n", SBInfo.srWindow.Top);
  printf("SBInfo.srWindow.Left           : %d  \n", SBInfo.srWindow.Left);
  printf("SBInfo.srWindow.Bottom         : %d  \n", SBInfo.srWindow.Bottom);
  printf("SBInfo.srWindow.Right          : %d  \n", SBInfo.srWindow.Right);
  printf("SBInfo.dwMaximumWindowSize.X, Y: %d x %d  \n", SBInfo.dwMaximumWindowSize.X, SBInfo.dwMaximumWindowSize.Y);
}

Howard_L · #2 06-Aug-2007, 19:36

Just to get something up on the forum about this, I was enlightened to the fact
that there is a curses port to win32. On searching I found that it must be this:
http://pdcurses.sourceforge.net/

I downloaded PDCurses33.zip and, after some struggling with my waning
conceptions of package building and reading and understanding instructions,
wound up with a library and header file installed for my \cs1300\mingw\gcc.
So far it works great. There is still a good ncurses tutorial at:
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/NCURSES-Programming-HOWTO/

It's the first time I've looked at a source file like this and had enough
knowledge to half understand what is going on. In particular, in the win32
subdirectory I can see how they are converting the console API functions into
use as the curses functions. Very interesting.
...and just when I was starting to get a grip on msdn.... how can I quit now?
++Howard;

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Change 98 console character size in program?	Howard_L	C Programming Language	1	25-Apr-2007 14:25
need help with a console menu system	BullBuchanan	CPP / C++ Forum	6	20-Aug-2006 14:46
Bloodshed Dev C++ Project Options	JdS	CPP / C++ Forum	6	11-Nov-2005 17:23
Help! Some basal questions about MFC	xutingnjupt	MS Visual C++ / MFC Forum	1	05-Dec-2004 03:38

Multiple 'windows' in one msdos console character-mode application

Re: Multiple 'windows' in one msdos console character-mode application